I’m fine, thank you and you?

                     

This installation centers on a large handmade lantern crafted from used facial sheet masks, following the traditional Sanuki-style paper lantern-making technique. The use of this heritage craft deliberately contrasts with contemporary notions of the digital “face”—our carefully curated online identities and social personas. The outer shell, made from discarded masks, symbolizes “face” (面子), a concept deeply embedded in East Asian societies, where maintaining dignity, reputation, and social image often overrides emotional authenticity.

Historically designed to shield fragile candle flames from wind and weather, the lantern becomes a metaphor for how society trains us to protect and present a polished image. Inside, the light represents the self—our soul, vulnerability, and individuality—quietly glowing beneath layers of expectation.

The title, “I’m fine, thank you, and you?”, refers to a textbook English phrase taught to many non-native speakers—a reflexive, surface-level response devoid of real emotion. It echoes the social scripts we absorb from an early age: how to save face, rather than how to be honest.

Blending themes of beauty culture, aging anxiety, and performative identity, the work invites reflection on how public personas are constructed and upheld. It critiques the pressure to appear “fine” and youthful, even when we are not. Through this glowing, mask-covered shell, the installation asks: When we say we’re fine, are we truly fine—or simply performing the role we were taught to play?